DePaul Diaries: Life as an SEO Intern

DePaul Diaries is a day-in-the-life blog series written by DePaul students. The series unveils DePaulians’ experiences as interns in their field of choice. Students share their honest thoughts about their experiences, what they learned as an intern and advice for students who are interested in the same field.

As a search engine optimization intern at Evolving Interactive, no day was ordinary for Kayla Waisath, DePaul psychology and marketing major.

“One day I could be writing guest blog posts, submitting to local directories, auditing a client’s website, or doing competitor research. I like that every day is not like the last. It definitely helps to keep me interested in my work,” Kayla explained.

Kayla enjoyed the environment that came with working for a small company. She attributes the organization’s size as one of the biggest factors of their successful internship program, as it helped her get to know and network with her coworkers.

“Everyone wears what they want and the environment is fun,” Kayla said. “You don’t see as much division between interns and the CEO’s, which helps to make everyone feel very comfortable.” Sometimes, her supervisors would even bring their dogs to work, a unique perk that Kayla personally enjoyed.

Because the organization was so small, Kayla was given more responsibilities and was treated more like a full-time staff member. “I played a very active part in the company. I never had to get coffee or do other mundane tasks,” Kayla said. Because of this, she gained invaluable, hands-on learning experiences in the marketing field.

“I learned so much about search engine optimization. I now know how to use Google Analytics, Moz Open Site Explorer, Yext, and many other programs,” Kayla noted. “I think this experience solidified that I want to work in the media industry.”

Kayla would highly recommend others interested in marketing check out Evolving Interactive. Kayla would also recommend prospective interns take the initiative to make their experience as memorable as possible.

“If there is something you want to learn at your internship, don’t wait for your supervisor to ask you. If you want a hands-on experience, make sure they know your goals from the start. More likely than not, they will be more than happy to help you.”

Want to learn about DePaul’s University Internship Program? Check it out, here, or send inquiries to UIP@depaul.edu. Need help finding an internship? Visit depaul.joinhandshake.com, or come into DePaul’s Career Center to meet with an advisor.